🚨 The $71B AI Revolution Your Competitors Are Missing (64 Days Left)

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Hey Fastlane Insiders! 👋

The rules of the game just changed. While most merchants are still playing marketing whack-a-mole with 15+ disconnected tools, wondering why their customer acquisition costs keep climbing, a quiet revolution is happening. AI isn't just improving what we already do—it's completely rewriting how customers discover, engage with, and buy from brands.

With Black Friday just 64 days away and the search landscape fragmenting faster than ever, this week's edition is packed with the strategies that are separating the winners from everyone else:

🤖 Klaviyo's Channel Affinity AI breakthrough that's finally ending the marketing tool chaos (and why your "best-in-class" stack might actually be costing you customers)

🔍 The Great Search Shake-Up - ChatGPT vs Google isn't the real story, but how 17% of Gen Z shoppers are discovering products in ways that bypass traditional SEO entirely

💡 Your AI Millionaire Blueprint for 2026 - 29 new AI billionaires were created in 2025 alone, and most weren't tech geniuses (here's what they're actually doing)

🚀 Plus: Get BFCM-ready with Cloudways Prepathon starting Monday - your free ticket to future-proof your store before the holiday rush hits

Ready? Let's dive in...

Steve

With Black Friday Cyber Monday just around the corner, we've got something pretty special to share with you. We've partnered with Cloudways to bring you Prepathon 2025 — a completely free 3-day online event (September 30 – October 2) designed exclusively for ecommerce store owners and digital entrepreneurs like you.

Here's the reality: BFCM 2025 is going to be different. Shopify merchants hit a record $11.5 billion in sales during BFCM 2024, but this year brings new challenges. Gen Z shoppers are 68% more likely to discover products through TikTok and Instagram, while Gen Alpha is already showing signs of preferring frictionless, mobile-first shopping experiences that blend social discovery with instant purchasing.

At Prepathon, you'll learn directly from 15+ ecommerce experts who will share practical insights and proven strategies to help you:

✨ Win Gen Z and Gen Alpha customers (the next wave of buyers who expect commerce to be embedded in their digital lives—not just optimized checkout flows)

✨ Build mobile-first, hyper-personalized shopping experiences that leverage real-time data and AI to deliver unique experiences to each customer

✨ Leverage AI and automation for smarter growth using the same tools that are creating new millionaires in the AI economy

✨ Stay ahead of fast-changing ecommerce trends including social commerce, voice-first interfaces, and the rising importance of sustainability in purchase decisions

Whether you're looking to scale your business for the upcoming holiday rush, boost customer loyalty beyond one-time seasonal purchases, or simply stay competitive in an increasingly crowded marketplace, Prepathon will give you the tools and strategies to thrive in 2025 and beyond.

This holiday season, top publishers are actively sourcing brands to include in their gift guides, newsletters, listicles, reviews, and more to drive high-intent shoppers straight to Amazon storefronts.

Here’s why it matters:

Levanta is working directly with these publishers to introduce them to a small number of 7–9 figure brands.

If you qualify, your products could be featured in high-traffic placements that deliver predictable CAC and directly measurable sales.

See if your brand qualifies

The old omnichannel playbook is dead. If you're still juggling 6-18 different marketing tools and wondering why your customer acquisition costs keep climbing while engagement drops, you're not alone—77% of consumers now shop across multiple channels but 54% are ignoring brand messages because they feel disconnected and irrelevant.

I sat down with Jen Kessler, VP of Product at Klaviyo, to discuss how their revolutionary new AI technology is solving what she calls the "triple threat" plaguing Shopify merchants right now: rising customer expectations, declining ad performance, and fragmented data that's impossible to act on.

Here's what you'll discover from my conversation:

This isn't about adding another tool to your stack—it's about finally having a unified system that understands your customers the way they actually shop: fluidly across channels, in real-time, based on their individual preferences.

If you're tired of playing whack-a-mole with disconnected marketing tools while watching your competitors seemingly effortlessly build lasting customer relationships, this conversation will show you exactly what they're doing differently.

While everyone's debating whether AI search will "kill" Google, here's what's actually happening that could transform how your customers discover your products: Google still handles 373 times more searches than ChatGPT, but the landscape is shifting in ways that smart Shopify merchants can't afford to ignore.

The real story isn't about market share—it's about customer behavior evolution. Younger shoppers (ages 13-24) are 17% more likely to use ChatGPT for product research, while Google's AI Overviews are appearing in 16% of ecommerce queries and pulling product data from sources that don't even rank organically. That means traditional SEO rankings might not guarantee visibility anymore.

Here's what this means for your bottom line:

The takeaway? While Google maintains its dominance, the search landscape is becoming more fragmented and conversation-driven. Brands that optimize for both traditional search AND emerging AI platforms will capture customers others miss.

Here's something that might surprise you: 29 new AI billionaires were created in 2025 alone, totaling $71 billion in wealth—and most weren't tech geniuses. A college dropout hit $2 billion, a stay-at-home parent built five-figure monthly income, and an English teacher scaled to $12K/month with a content agency. The common thread? They spotted opportunities in the $20 revolution nobody talks…but I will ;)

For our community of marketers, founders, and aspiring entrepreneurs reading this newsletter, the timing couldn't be better. Whether you're running a DTC brand looking to integrate AI into your operations, or you're still searching for that breakthrough opportunity that gives you time freedom and financial independence, the AI landscape right now offers unprecedented paths to wealth.

Here's what the new AI millionaires are actually doing:

The real opportunity isn't replacing human creativity—it's amplifying it. Gary Vaynerchuk uses ChatGPT as his "strategy thinker" for investment decisions, while successful AI entrepreneurs focus on solving real friction points for businesses: saving time, reducing costs, and improving customer experience.

What a week this has been! We dove deep into how Klaviyo's Channel Affinity AI is finally solving the marketing tool chaos that's been draining budgets and confusing customers. We explored how the search landscape is shifting right under our feet—with ChatGPT handling 50 million shopping conversations daily while Google creates new discovery paths your competitors might be missing. And we uncovered the real blueprint behind the new wave of AI millionaires who are building lifestyle businesses while the window is still wide open.

Speaking of timing—we're now just 64 days away from Black Friday (November 28th), and this year's preparation window is tighter than ever. Amazon just announced their Multi-Channel Fulfillment now supports Walmart, Shopify, and Shein integration, while Etsy rolled out new AI-driven seller features this week that are already changing how merchants manage their listings. The race is officially on.

The common thread?

The businesses thriving now aren't just adopting new tools—they're fundamentally rethinking how they connect with customers.

Whether that's through unified messaging platforms, optimizing for conversational search, or leveraging AI to create new revenue streams, the winners are the ones moving beyond the old playbooks.

With BFCM prep season officially here and Cloudways Prepathon starting Monday, there's never been a better time to future-proof your approach. The strategies we covered today aren't just trends—they're the foundation of what commerce will look like in 2026.

Here's the thing—some of the biggest opportunities are hiding in places we'd never think to look. That random conversation on Reddit, that TikTok trend your 16-year-old niece mentioned, that AI tool your friend casually mentioned over coffee? Those might just be your next big breakthrough.

Cheers!
Steve